Faded Rivalry
by Prosopopeia
Summary: [JinxHwoarang] Where false identities are assumed, scheming best friends are evil, and certain rivals just keep getting in your face. Sometimes, it's simply easier to go with the flow, Hwoarang. Chapter Five.
1. Realizing

**Chapter One: Realizing**

My first Tekken story! Hwoarang and Jin Kazama baby! Yaoi, obviously! If you don't like, then leave! I don't want flames overfilling my inbox.

So keep reading and tell me what you think!

_Disclaimer: Me don't own Tekken, k?_

* * *

The streets were calm and quiet. It was dark out and surprisingly nobody was around. Then the sounds of faint yelling were sounded in the distance.

"Damn you, Kazama!" Hwoarang yelled out, rage filling in his senses. He always prided himself on being the strongest fighter around. Then this Kazama Jin showed up and ruined everything: his pride, his glory, and all of the things he worked so hard in life to achieve. He was not going let himself be put down any further.

"Calm down Hwoarang," the latter called back, sighing. He grew wearisome of the Korean's wild threats and calls. When was the whole thing going to end? He stared at the pools of rage in his rival's eyes and decided not very soon.

Hwoarang stared at the silent Jin dangerously. "I will defeat you one of these days! And then you had better watch out," cried the redhead venomously. His anger had gotten the best of him and he was beginning to sound like some idiot and he realized it, too, but continued with his rants. He needed it out of his system.

But the spiky-haired youth didn't answer. Instead he turned and left a seething Korean to himself. The whole argument was foolish and uncouth. There was no honor in participating in such a debate.

Hwoarang, however, clenched his fist in increasing aggravation before turning around to walk in the opposite direction. He limped painfully on his left foot, but that wasn't what consumed his mind.

_Damn you, Jin. You think you can walk away from me so easily do you? Well, you haven't seen anything yet…_

Jin watched Hwoarang walk away from the corner of his eye with some pity before snapping back into reality. There he was feeling sorry for the very man who swore to kill him just a few moments ago. He really was too merciful for his own good. But then there was a strange sort of attachment he felt towards the redhead.

The Japanese youth quickly shook his head to clear his ridiculous thoughts. Hwoarang was his enemy and rival. He cared nothing for him. Sighing, Jin began walking back to his apartment. In truth he knew he was just denying himself. He never truly hated anyone in his entire life. He was just too stubborn to admit that he did actually care for the Korean man.

Jin frowned deeply. He was insane. Why was he questioning himself now? Just after one little scuffle with Hwoarang and he was starting to wonder if what he was doing was right? He never felt this way when he fought against him in the tournament. His apartment came into view then and Jin took out his keys and began fumbling with them. He entered the building and took the elevator in deep thought. Maybe Hwoarang wasn't as bad as he looked. Suddenly Jin laughed.

"I'm trying to make the guy who's trying to kill me sound good? What the hell's wrong with me?" he cried, scratching the back of his neck. The elevator lurched to a stop and Jin got off and headed right to his apartment.

Once inside, he took off his coat and plopped down on the couch, staring at the ceiling in confusion. He was reading everything too hard. So what if he pitied his rival? He was just a compassionate man. Nodding, Jin repeated those words forcefully over and over in his mind as he stared up at the ceiling. He had already been pounding himself for an hour. After realizing he would never get any sleep, he stood up and grabbed his jacket again. Then without so much as a glance at his apartment, he left the room for a little night out.

* * *

Hwoarang lounged around the table shooting balls into corners with amazing precision. The trick was easy for him. All he had to do was imagine that each ball was Jin's head and that made his moves accurate and unwavering. He cussed the spiky-haired youth in his head from time to time, scowling each time he remembered their very first introduction at a street brawl.

But what Hwoarang didn't know was that his foremost enemy had just entered right at that moment. Fortunately for him Jin didn't recognize Hwoarang when he saw him playing by himself at the pool table. Instead, he went straight to the bar to drown his thoughts with a drink.

Hwoarang had just at that moment decided he was indeed getting thirsty also and strode towards the bar. As he was walking, he spotted Jin place himself down on a seat in front of the bartender and he silently cursed to himself as he looked up at the ceiling in desperation.

_Shit… Why me?_

He quickly grabbed a hat sitting nearby on a chair and tucked his hair under it and put on a pair of sunglasses in his pocket. He was wearing a pair of worn out black jeans and a dark green shirt in which he scrunched up the sleeves till it reached his elbows. He headed to the opposite end of the bar, trying his best to stay as far away from Jin as he could possibly go. Quickly ordering a shot of tequila, he silently watched Jin.

The latter, oblivious to his little stalker, ordered his drink and stared at it before gulping it down in a second. He noticed a fellow dressed in black sitting on the other side of the bar with some amusement. Raising an eyebrow, he had the strangest feeling that he knew that person from somewhere. He shook his head in frustration.

_There I go hallucinating again. Like that would really be Hwoarang… Am I really that desperate to see him again? God…_

Hwoarang arched his eyebrow when he saw Jin smirk from afar. He glanced around him and noticed no one else sitting around him, causing him to panic slightly. Forcing himself to remain calm, he swallowed the rest of his drink and sat nervously. Why was he being such a coward now? Was he actually afraid of Kazama Jin? He would have laughed if that second question hadn't caused him to hesitate.

However, Jin just stared into his empty glass and his mind unconsciously created a picture of Hwoarang in it. He yelped and looked around him and noticed the bartender shooting him a strange glance. Jin smiled sheepishly and ordered another drink, trying to sink lower into his seat.

_And a fighter's supposed to be smooth and poised? Damn, what the hell am I then?_

Meanwhile, Hwoarang nearly went into a burst of laughter when he heard Jin yelp. Never in his whole entire life had he ever heard the Japanese youth shout like that, not even in battle. Hwoarang stifled his snickers, but his shoulders were still shaking as he imagined how focused and serious Jin was in fights compared to one moment ago.

The bartender approached Jin, cleaning a glass as he spoke. "The place is rather empty tonight. Only you and that guy over there are here alone with some other poor bums," he remarked as he began pouring Jin another drink.

Jin nodded as he glanced at the stranger across from him again. "Yeah, I wonder why," he murmured, eyes narrowing slightly at the man. There was that feeling tugging at his heart again.

The bartender shrugged. "Sure you want another drink? It's your seventh," he warned, arching an eyebrow at Jin's face. Six drinks and the man wasn't even flushed. He was quite impressed.

Jin nodded amusedly. He never pictured a bartender actually warning him not to drink something. Usually it was them who dared him to try different drinks. "It's okay. I'm used to it," he replied reassuringly, smiling slightly.

The bartender shrugged, hiding his smile. "Yeah, I see. Usually I see people throwing up after drinking just two of these," he remarked, waving an empty glass around.

Jin shrugged in response. "It's my favorite drink. Guess other people can't take it," he replied with some amusement.

He took his drink quickly and drank it much slowly this time. Eyeing the other customer, he began wondering to himself again. He still couldn't shake the feeling that he knew that person from somewhere.

Hwoarang shifted uneasily as he noticed Jin was staring at him again. He stood up nervously and decided to shoot some pool to calm his nerves. Why was he acting so timidly? Why wasn't he challenging Jin to a fight like he usually would have? What was wrong with him?

Jin eyed the stranger as he went to one of the pool tables and smiled. The perfect opportunity to get to know the stranger was right before him. He walked over to the table and leaned against the table right next to where Hwoarang was standing.

"Hello. Mind if I played?" he asked, tilting his head to the side, trying to catch a better glimpse of the man's eyes. But it was no use. The man kept his head down, hiding his face from any vantage point.

Hwoarang gulped nervously. "N-No…of course not!" he replied as he nervously set the balls. He took the first shot and the balls went flying into different corners. Now his composure was completely broken. Jin had the most horrible timing.

"Are you okay?" Jin asked as he saw Hwoarang's quivering hand. The shot was good and he was stripes as it seemed, but the boy was sweating bullets for some bizarre reason.

Hwoarang nodded in response as he trued to regain control. "Sure! Just not used to playing with complete strangers, but that's okay right?" he said in a rush, realizing he sounded like some kind of hermit who hid from people. That was not how he intended it sound like.

Jin smiled amusedly at the man's remark. "Yeah, my name is Kazama Jin by the way," he introduced as Hwoarang took up another shot. It was clear and Jin had to nod at the pure talent it took for him to make such a complicated shot.

The Korean youth nodded dumbly. "Oh yeah! The guy who won the tournament!" he exclaimed mundanely before scowling to himself. Now he was sounding like some crazed fan.

Jin nodded, chuckling slightly. "Uhh…yeah…so what's your name?" he quickly asked, arching an eyebrow. It seemed as if the stranger knew everything there was to know about him and he didn't even know his name.

"M-My name? Err…I don't have a name."

The spiky-haired boy grinned at the answer. "Don't have a name? You must go by something!" he exclaimed, laughing. This guy must not go out very often if his social skills were that bad.

Hwoarang mentally smacked himself. He really was beginning to sound like one of those nerdy college students who hadn't gone out in months because of schoolwork. "No, no, I'm an orphan so I don't know what my real name is," he replied. Then he mentally smacked himself in the head. That was much more information he gave out than he intended.

Jin lowered his head in sympathy. "Oh…sorry. But why don't you make up a name?" he asked, feeling a little uncomfortable.

Hwoarang shrugged, trying to find a position on the table. "Never really thought about it," he replied simply. Now he was finally beginning to catch onto the whole situation. He had to be a little careful, though.

Leaning his head against his stick, Jin watched Hwoarang shoot. "Hmm…I would give you a name, but I can't since you're hiding your face under those sunglasses. I don't even know how you look like! But it's strange. When I first saw you, I thought you were someone I knew," he remarked calmly.

"Oh…? Who'd you think I was?"

Hwoarang hoped he didn't sound too fake. His composure was starting to fade again. He gripped himself and he took up another shot.

Jin merely shrugged. "This guy I fought against. His name was Hwoarang," he answered, not really wanting to talk about the redhead, but he couldn't help but picture the fighter's face in his mind.

The Korean youth sweatdropped as he cracked his knuckles nervously. "Oh…you mean _the _Hwoarang?" he repeated, trying to sound like he was part of the audience and not himself. He shook his head, wondering why he was letting the whole situation carry out so far.

Jin nodded. "The one and only," he remarked dryly. Hwoarang gulped as he missed the hole.

"Your turn," he announced quickly, relieved for the brief moment of peace.

Grinning, Jin took up a position on the table. "Finally! I thought I was going to stand here forever," he exclaimed, taking up a shot.

"Heh, well, you eventually run out of luck I guess," Hwoarang said unsurely. He really should have left a long time ago. But Jin was actually a nice person to talk to when he didn't know whom he was speaking to. "Yeah, but as you can see, I'm not Hwoarang," he remarked jokingly.

_No, I am the Blood Talon! God, what's the difference?_

"Yeah, I can see that. I still need to call you something. Give me a name."

"I don't know any," Hwoarang replied quickly. That was true enough. Baek gave the name he had now. He could think of plenty of Korean names, but that would hint too much of where he came from.

Jin shook his head in exasperation as he took another shot. The guy could at least help with a name. He hated being the decider.

"Just call me Anon."

"Anon?" Jin repeated, looking at Hwoarang strangely. "Where'd that come from?" he asked, arching an eyebrow. Well, Anon was an interesting name to pick.

"Anon…short for anonymous. I just made it up a second ago," Hwoarang replied, smirking. He should have received an A for creativity.

Jin laughed aloud. "Anonymous, anon. Very creative! I would've never thought of it!" he exclaimed.

Hwoarang grinned. "Yup. That's me, creative!"

Smiling once again, Jin continued his turn. Hwoarang watched him with interest as random thoughts began popping into his head.

_He has a nice smile… And he looks pretty cute when he's concentrating like that… And what the fuck am I saying?_

The redhead shook his head and scowled to himself. No more thoughts like that. This was only a one-time thing. It would never happen again. After this night he would go back to hating Jin and vice versa.

Until then he forced himself to think about the game.

_Hell, if I can't beat him in real life, at least I'll do it in a game of pool!_

* * *

TBC


	2. Painful Situations

**Chapter Two: Painful Situations**

"So Anon, were you born here in Japan?" Jin asked while analyzing the table. His counterpart had finally ended his turn and he gladly took up his shot, determined to catch up.

Hwoarang shook his head and leaned against the table in a casual manner. "No I was born in K—" he stopped in mid-sentence before wracking his mind.

_Damn it! I can't say Korea! He'll start suspecting!_

A disgruntled look crossed Hwoarang's face as Jin raised an eyebrow. "K? What kind of country is that?" he asked half in humor, half mocking.

The redhead shook his head quickly. "No…no…um, I was born in…Kansas!" he blurted out before his face sagged.

_Ugh…what kind of answer was that? Kansas, my God!_

But the Japanese youth found it quite intriguing as he took a break from his turn, eyeing Hwoarang curiously. "Kansas? Where's that?" he asked, cocking his head to the side. Even Hwoarang found his curiosity amusing as he chuckled lightly.

"Eh…it's in America," he answered.

_Thank God I visited New York a good few times. But I still have to wonder what the significance of the saying, "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore," is; the people use it an awful lot._

Jin's face brightened at the thought of a foreigner. "So you're from America? That's amazing," he replied enthusiastically. He eyed the redhead carefully before thinking to himself.

_He certainly doesn't look American though…_

The Korean youth nodded and looked at the pool table dazedly. "Yeah…" he murmured to himself. New York wasn't his hometown, but he had spent a good number of years of his life there during his more rebellious stages. The thought brought a slight smirk to his lips. The streets in New York were always a challenge to run on.

Jin, who had began to play again, paused at the look on his opponent's face. "What's the matter? You don't like…errm…_K-Kan-sas_?" he asked, stuttering on the name of the state.

Hwoarang looked up at him in surprise and shook his head, smiling slightly. "No! It's just that umm…I really never went there…?" he explained, not sure of what to say. It seemed he was making more of a fool as he went on. He eyed Jin carefully.

_That was the world's most stupid reply…_

Jin looked puzzled as he arched an eyebrow. "Oh…?" he remarked. This Anon fellow was strange. He was always beating around the bush, never giving him a straight answer. It was aggravating, yet amusing at the same time. He didn't know which was more.

Hwoarang nodded quickly, looking at the floor nervously. "I was born there…but I moved when I was really young and I don't remember ever being there!" he explained, looking up at Jin with a nervous laugh.

_Phew…good move…just hopes he buys it! Of course with his lack of brains, I think it'll work…_

Hwoarang couldn't stop the grin from crossing his face as he stared at the thoughtful Jin, who nodded. "I see…" he murmured in fascination. It seemed Anon traveled quite a bit. From America to Japan was quite a long trip. He smiled to himself.

_This guy is just full of surprises. I wonder why he came to Japan, though…_

Hwoarang nodded quickly and glanced at his watch and blanched.

_I've been here for a whole hour? What is wrong with me?_

He plastered a fake smile on his face and looked up at Jin sweetly. "Um…I better get going now…it's getting late," he remarked, trying his best not to scowl. He did not like playing the innocent role.

Jin nodded understandingly. "Yeah, it is. Technically I should leave, too," he wondered aloud before suddenly looking at Hwoarang excitedly. "Hey, why don't I walk you home?" he suggested, smiling brightly.

The Korean fighter looked alarmed for a second.

"What!"

Jin raised an eyebrow at the boy's sudden outburst. "What?" he replied questionably. He didn't see anything wrong with walking a new friend home. Perhaps Anon was one of those untrusting folks, he thought in confusion.

Hwoarang shook his head and started backing away. "You really don't need to!" he exclaimed, inwardly cursing at Jin.

_If he walks me home, my cover will be totally blown!_

The Japanese boy stared at him for a moment before smiled. "But I insist! It's dangerous out at this time you know," he replied, looking concerned. If Anon was new to the city, then he would be in for one hell of a time.

"Oh…I can take care of myself…"

Jin frowned and quickly blocked the exit. "Are you sure…?" he asked, still insistent on his offer. If Anon ended up in the front page of tomorrow newspaper, he didn't want to feel the guilt of being the one who left him to venture out for himself.

Hwoarang let out a cry of aggravation before pushing Jin out of his way. "Yes! Now you just let me go home!" he exclaimed, his voice almost becoming venomous. He quickly tried to calm down his impatience and he rolled his eyes at the look Jin was giving him.

_This guy is almost completely different out of the ring. Shit, I just wished he would leave me along, though!_

"Uhh…okay…if you insist…"

The Blood Talon sighed in relief and tried his best to smile at Jin. "I do! I do! I'll be fine!" he exclaimed, beginning to walk away, pushing his hands into his pockets. Jin turned around suddenly and grabbed Hwoarang's arm, stopping him.

"All right then. But can I see you again, though?" he asked hopefully. He was usually never this open to people he just met, but there was something about Anon that made him feel comfortable despite the man's obvious mysteriousness.

Hwoarang stiffened, but didn't turn around to face his rival. "Uhh…I don't think that's a good idea," he muttered under his breath.

_Like hell I want to play this Anon character again! I am not a goddamn actor…_

Jin tilted his head to the side and let go of Hwoarang's arm. "Why?" he asked innocently, his tone so sweet that Hwoarang couldn't help but feel slightly guilty for his hasty answer.

"Um…"

Jin smiled and placed his hands on his hips, a look of determination on his face. He wasn't about to lose this fight. "Look, we can meet up here again at the same time tomorrow! That is unless you have something to do," he suggested, trying to catch Hwoarang's gaze, but the redhead kept dodging his eyes.

"No, I have nothing to do tomorrow…"

_Shit! Why'd I say that! Do I somehow subconsciously want to see him again? What the fuck! I am not some kind of psychiatrist and why am I still talking to myself? Maybe I need to see a psychiatrist! Oh God…_

Jin smiled brightly and relaxed his posture. "Good then! See you tomorrow," he called as he turned and walked away before Hwoarang could say anything to change his decision. He smiled at the fact that he won the battle.

Hwoarang watched Jin walk away, completely stunned.

_I'm going to have to do this again!_

He looked up at the sky at raised his arms above his head in desperation.

_Why me? Why do you enjoy teasing me? I'm sorry if I ever missed mass, but I'm not a goddamn Christian! Wait…is that considered blasphemy?_

* * *

Jin woke up with a start the next morning at ten in the morning due to his alarm clock. He quickly rolled over and slammed his palm against the annoying contraptionfor a little more sleep. After more tossing and kicks, he finally swung his legs over the side as he couldn't seem to fall asleep again. Running his hand through his messy hair, he stood up and stretched before presuming in making his bed. He still wore a stoical expression on his face as he stared at his alarm clock, which now lied flat down on the floor.

He glared at it angrily and pointed a finger at it.

"You! If you hadn't gone off, I would still be sleeping!" he snapped before realizing what he was doing. He shook his head and held a hand over his forehead in exasperation.

_Why am I yelling at an alarm clock? Hell, I was the one who set it up! Totally forgot it was Saturday…_

Then, heading to his drawer, he pulled a pair of black denim jeans and a plain white shirt that had scrawled on the front "TV Bum." He went over to the bathroom and took his toothbrush, squeezing the toothpaste over it as he began his morning ritual. Staring at the mirror in a daze he wondered what his foreign friend was doing.

* * *

"Itai! Why is everything against me today!" Hwoarang exclaimed as he burnt himself with an iron. He held his index finger tightly and glared at the iron and then decided that there was no longer any need for it as he pulled the plug out of its socket.

"First my alarm clock malfunctions and I wake up at ten instead of nine and then I find that the refrigerator is devoid of any edible food and now this accursed iron!" snapped Hwoarang to no one in particular.

Grabbing his shirt, he hastily pulled it over his head and began heading to the kitchen barefooted. He looked through his empty shelves before finding an age-old box of cereal. Without even glancing it, he pulled it off out of its place and began pouring its contents into an empty bowl. He sat down grumpily on the table and ate the cereal with out any milk and began recalling the night before.

_And tonight I have to go to the pool hall again. What the hell was I thinking! I shouldn't have hidden myself! Then I wouldn't be in this situation right now! God, this is too depressing to think about. How did the great Blood Talon reduce himself to this?_

Hwoarang crunched on the plain corn flakes with even more force as he gazed hard into the wall, almost as if he was trying to burn a whole through it.

_I feel so helpless! This is even worse than fighting against that bastard. It never struck me that he could actually be a nice guy when he wasn't fighting. I'm so used to him being the cold, obnoxious jerk that he is…and still is. But now I feel…GUILTY!_

The thought of him actually pitying his rival only fueled Hwoarang's need to eat even faster until he nearly choked on a flake. Coughing, he still stared straight at the wall as if in a trance.

_He was really nice to me, though. And I was just a stranger. The conversation would've actually been enjoyable if I didn't have to be another person…whoa, hold your horses, Hwoarang! What the hell am I thinking! This is Kazama Jin, my foremost rival and enemy…or is he? I just don't know anymore._

And with that last thought, he finished his bowl of cereal.

* * *

Despite being one of the top fighters of the city, Jin still often liked to do the simple things in life such as taking a morning jog. It was not only good for him, but also a refreshing way to get him out of the foggy daze he was in ever since he woke up. Now if only he could tie his shoes properly. Every few loops, his fingers would suddenly slip and then his knot would be ruined. He nearly threw his sneakers up against the wall in frustration. Finally, after his fifth time trying, he got the knot and stood up straight in satisfaction.

"Well, now I can finally jog, though doing that was a good exercise in itself," he muttered under his breath as he left his apartment and began running down the stairs until he reached outside. There, he started jogging up the sidewalk, releasing all his thoughts. One in particular stuck out clearly. How easy it was to run down brick sidewalks than it was when he trained with his mother in the wilderness. He smiled fondly at the thought.

_Maybe one day I'll go back—_

But his thoughts were cut off as he suddenly turned the corner, abruptly colliding into someone hard. He felt the air knocked out of him as he fell to the ground.

* * *

_I don't know how many times I can say this in two days, but… God, why me?_

The redhead sat up painfully as he silently cursed himself and the son of a bitch that collided with him. He winced when he touched the side of his head and he could already feel a bump developing. Looking around dazedly, he tried to find the person he crashed into. Suddenly a ring stung clearly through his mind as he realized it was someone calling him.

"Hwoarang?"

The Korean youth frowned slightly as he tried to put the voice together with the image forming in his head slowly. Looking up suddenly, he winced and eyes widened in utter horror at the person standing before him. His head started pounding even more and he found his vision suddenly blurring. One clear thought still rang through his mind, though.

_That son of a gun…_

And then he collapsed.

* * *

The initial accident was already more than enough to knock Jin out of his daze, but finding out that the culprit of the accident was none other than Hwoarang himself was what finally did it for him. What was more surprising, though, was actually watching his rival look up at him in what looked like fear at first, but that quickly vanished as he suddenly dropped to the ground like a rag doll.

"What the…?"

It was all he could do but stare. Finally Jin looked over Hwoarang and felt the bump on the side of his head. He shook his head and hissed when he saw the bump beginning to swell. Thinking quickly, he lifted Hwoarang over his shoulder and shifted him slightly to a more comfortable position. He eyed his rival before finally deciding on bringing him back to his apartment. As he began walking back, he ignored the strange glances from people.

When his apartment building came into view, Jin kicked the door open and headed towards the elevator. Despite Hwoarang's light frame, he wasn't going to climb up seven flights of stairs with him on his back. He waited impatiently as the elevator made its trip downwards and once again he looked at the limp figure he was supporting. Jin never would have imagined he would be helping Hwoarang on his own free will. It was almost laughable except for the fact that the redhead did seem to be hurt. If there was anything Jin knew about him, it was that he was a proud fighter and he would never collapse like that unless he really didn't have a say on it.

Finally the elevator came and he quickly stepped in, pressing the button that was his floor. He waited patiently, shifting Hwoarang's body over occasionally. When the elevator lurched to his stop, he walked off and headed straight towards his apartment and turned the knob. Fortunately he hadn't locked it, but then again the thought of burglars never occurred in his mind.

Setting Hwoarang gently on the couch, he pulled a blanket over him while he went to get some ice for his injury.

_I'm glad it was him who obtained the injury and not me. Most likely he would have left me there lying on the ground…_

Jin frowned at the thought as he placed the ice on Hwoarang's head. The fighter flinched slightly and Jin couldn't help but stare deeply into the face of his patient.

_He's so peaceful when he's sleeping. I'm kind of glad that I knocked him over. Seeing him like this is a once in a lifetime treat._

Shaking his head suddenly at the last thought, the Japanese youth settled down on a chair beside Hwoarang and opened up a book lying on his table and started reading, though he was still keeping an ever-constant vigil over Hwoarang.

* * *

It was quite a few hours later before Hwoarang slowly opened his eyes painfully.

"Ugh…where am I?"

That one questions managed to reverberate painfully throughout his skull as he sat up slowly, slipping the ice pack off of his forehead to look around. His eyes spotted Jin sleeping in the seat beside him and that was enough to make jump to his feet in shock, a decision he immediately regretted as the throbbing in his head tripled. His hand flew to the right side of his head, trying to soothe the pain he looked up at Jin cautiously. He sighed in relief at the sight of the fighter sleeping soundly.

_At least he didn't wake up…_

Walking past Jin slowly, he didn't realize his right foot had slipped under the rug until it was too late and he was falling before he could even think.

"Argg!" was his strangled cry when he fell.

* * *

Jin woke up suddenly.

"What…? I didn't do it!"

The Japanese youth looked around him in a panic and sighed in relief to see that he was still in his apartment and in one piece.

_I was only dreaming…phew! But what woke me up?_

Jin stared all across the room in confusion as he scratched his head.

_I don't see anything out of the ordinary…wait! Wasn't Hwoarang lying on that couch?_

Jin stared at the vacant couch and noticed the blankets and ice pack on the floor. Frowning, he then turned behind him slowly when he heard a low groan. Looking down on a bewildered and injured Hwoarang, he almost laughed.

* * *

Hwoarang had just started coming out of his sleep just in time to be stared at like some kind of exhibit by his rival and groaned to himself.

_I have got the worst fucking luck!_

What was worse was when Jin spoke to him. He felt like a hundred needles was being stuck into his head like a pincushion.

"Uhh…nice to see you're awake Hwoarang…you need any help?"

And it was just a helpful question.

Hwoarang looked at Jin's outstretched hand and after a minute of hesitation, took it. Inwardly, he cursed to himself at showing such a display of weakness and humility. "Yeah…thanks," he mumbled grumpily as Jin stood him up easily.

"No problem," Jin said humorously, eyes glinting with barely controlled laughter.

_Is this the so-called Blood Talon now? I wonder what his biker friends would think of him now if they saw him… _

Hwoarang's face dropped and he instantly grabbed his hand away from Jin's grip in disgust. He shuddered in silent rage. _Why does he have to see me like this?_ He looked up at the ceiling.

"WHY!"

Jin arched an eyebrow at Hwoarang's outburst and instinctively took a step back. "Why what Hwoarang?" he asked quietly, staring at his red-haired counterpart strangely for a second.

Hwoarang quickly turned to Jin and started turning red in embarrassment. _What is wrong with me? I can't be acting like a fool when he's around! Stupid Hwoarang! Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

"Umm…nothing…you didn't hear anything come from me!" he quickly replied, waving his hand to dismiss the entire thing. He ignored the tension building up in his head and covered his pain by sighing.

This time both Jin's eyebrows went up in a mixture of amusement and sympathy. "Uhh, right, Hwoarang. Whatever you say," he remarked with a smirk as the redhead stared at him with cold eyes.

"Well I'm going now, Kaz—Jin! Thanks for your hospitality. But I have to go!" Hwoarang suddenly exclaimed as the pain in his head returned full throttle. He turned to leave before freezing in his spot as if something was holding him back. He felt a nauseating feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Jin…?" he muttered between clenched teeth as fogginess entered his mind. The Japanese youth walked up obediently behind Hwoarang.

"Yeah?" he asked as he stared at the back of the boy's head.

Hwoarang felt his knees buckle as he replied, "Hold out your arms." And with that he collapsed dead away into Jin's outstretched arms.

Jin picked up Hwoarang and laid him back on the couch, placing the blankets and ice pack on him again.

_I knew he got up to fast. He still needs rest._ Jin looked down at Hwoarang in a mixture of admiration and wonder. _So beautiful._ The thought entered his mind immediately as he stared at the resting redhead. Despite his obnoxious attitude, there was a certain gravity Hwoarang had that Jin couldn't escape no matter how hard he tried. Perhaps that was why he didn't kick Hwoarang out after he woke up. No, he humored the Korean fighter, and enjoyed it at that. He looked at his hands thoughtfully.

_Carrying him…it was like…I don't know…a sensation I never thought I would ever get to experience. _

He smiled to himself as he took up his place in his chair as caretaker once again.

_I could get used to that._

* * *

TBC


	3. Persuading A Tiger

**Chapter Three: Persuading A Tiger**

Hwoarang slowly opened his eyes and quickly shut them. Groaning, he turned over and attempted to open his eyes again. This time a most unfamiliar sight greeted him. _Okay, where am I again? Oh fuck…Jin's place. _Cursing to himself, Hwoarang attempted to stand up and made his way to the door as quietly as he could without causing too much pain to his head. But it was all in vain as his foot got caught under the carpet and began falling headlong to the floor.

"Shiiiiiiit!"

In the kitchen, Jin immediately dropped his knife when he heard Hwoarang yell out in the living room. Without thinking, he ran out of the kitchen, knife still in hand. He quickly located Hwoarang gripping the side of his head and cursing in a language foreign while struggling to stand up. Jin grinned to himself as he resisted laughing. _What did the klutz do this time?_

Hwoarang gripped his head and cursed in Korean. _Now why'd I do that? At this rate, I'm going to kill myself if I keep this up!_ Hwoarang smirked to himself as he amused himself for a moment. _Ha, I could see it now. Headlining: "Blood Talon Killed Because He Stupidly Hit His Head Repeatedly on a Table" Now that'll be a laugh…_ The pain in Hwoarang's head subsided to dull banging and he looked up only to see Jin stare at him holding a knife in his hand. _Oh my God, he's gonna kill me and eat me for dinner! I never thought of Kazama being the cannibal type, but then again, why not!_

"Stop! I didn't do anything! Isn't there a better way to settle this! Don't eat me!"

Hwoarang exclaimed before quickly closing his mouth and thinking for a moment. _Holy shit! Did I just say what I think I just said!_ He noticed Jin's puzzled expression and groaned inwardly. _Oh damn, I did…where the hell did that come from! I must be going crazy. Jin's my rival…but he isn't a freaking cannibal!…At least, I don't think he is…_ Hwoarang looked at Jin skeptically and as Jin did the same back to him.

_Did he just tell me not to eat him?_ Jin thought, completely confused. _Man, does he really think that lowly of me?_ Jin looked at his hand and glanced at the knife before blinking in realization. _Oh! I see where he got that idea…but…he can't really think that I would actually kill him would he?_ Jin eyed Hwoarang carefully.

"Umm…Hwoarang…are you alright?"

Hwoarang looked at him. "Uhh…yeah, sorry…I don't know where that came from!" he exclaimed nervously. _I am such an idiot._

Jin nodded slowly as he tried to hide his bewilderment. "Umm…yeah. I was just making dinner. Are you hungry?" he asked.

Hwoarang stared at the floor thoughtfully. _Come to think of it…I am actually hungry._ "Uhh…a little…" he admitted slowly.

"Good, cause I was already making something for you already. Why don't you…uhh…wait and read something?"

The Korean nodded sheepishly. "Sure." _I can't believe he's still being so nice to me even after I told him not to eat me…eat me! Damn, this bump affected me even more than I thought!_

Jin headed back to the kitchen and continued chopping the onions. _That sure was strange…the fact that he thought I was going to eat him…_ he thought amusedly.

Meanwhile in the living room, Hwoarang was debating on either staying at Jin's house or making a run back to his place. The Korean youth had already proved himself to be a fool and wasn't too content on embarrassing himself even further. But then the other half of him argued with him.

_You can't leave him. He's been so nice to you and the least you could do is stay for dinner!_

_Oh, shut the fuck up!_

Hwoarang blinked slowly before trying to calm himself down. Arguing with oneself must be a sure sign of insanity. Hwoarang rolled his eyes at the thought. In that case, he was insane from day one. Of course Jin was actually a very good host and Hwoarang couldn't help but feel…

"Fuck!" he exclaimed as he hastily grabbed the nearest book and opened it. He did not like Kazama. He was just feeling grateful towards him, that's it. Nodding along with that thought, he read the first line of the book. "Denial: a refusal to comply with or satisfy a request," Hwoarang recited aloud before cursing in Korean and slamming the book against the wall. He got up from the couch and noted that he was still wearing his very dirty sweat pants and ripped tee shirt. _Damn, I'd give anything for a shower._ The redhead looked at his clothes disgustedly.

"Hey Hwoarang?"

"Yeah?" Hwoarang replied, looking up to see Jin staring at him from the kitchen doorway.

The Japanese fighter pointed to Hwoarang's clothes with a hint of grin. "Do you want to take a shower? I could lend you some clothes," he suggested.

Hwoarang blinked several times. _What is he? A fucking mind reader?_ "That would be good," he remarked slowly while scrutinizing Jin with all his might, as if trying to figure out if he was psychic. The Japanese youth remained oblivious, though.

"The bathroom is the last room down the hall. I'll leave you some clothes," he replied.

"Okay. Thanks."

Finding the bathroom was relatively easy and Hwoarang and went in while examining the furnishings critically. _Hey, nice bathroom._ It contained a large bath with a shower and the tiled walls were white and the ceiling a relaxing tan color. The Korean boy eyed the bath.

_Bath or shower, Hwoarang?_

Hwoarang looked at the tub. _I think I'll just stick to shower. Baths take too much time to prepare._ Hwoarang shed his clothes and turned on the shower. _Ahh…warm water…this is just what I needed… _Hwoarang closed his eyes and let the water run down his face.

"Hey, Hwoarang? Can I come in?"

Hwoarang opened his eyes. "Yeah."

Jin opened the door and dropped some clothes on the toilet seat without a single glance at the figure behind the fogged glass. _I'm not some peeping Tom after all._ "Here, I left some clothes for you here."

"K, thanks."

Jin smiled. "Sure." He left the room and closed the door. _I've never heard Hwoarang say thanks so many times in just one hour._

While Jin finished making the dinner, Hwoarang was having a dilemma in the bathroom.

_Ugh…is this even a shirt?_

Hwoarang picked up and loose black shirt that went all the way down to his knees and the sleeves went down to his elbows. When he put on the pants he found that he could have easily fitted another pair of legs in them. Staring at himself in the mirror, Hwoarang shook his head in dismay.

"I know Kazama isn't this big. He must have fucked around with the washing machine or something…" he muttered to himself before heading out the door.

_At least they're comfortable._ That was his only consolation.

Jin looked at Hwoarang when he entered the kitchen. He nearly drooled over the sight of the Korean youth. His hair was wet and in clumps and his face held a distinctly blushed tone due probably from the heat of the water. _Damn…he looks hot after a shower…_

Hwoarang noticed Jin staring at him and crossed his arms. "What are you looking at, Kazama?" he snapped. _He better not be staring because of this overly ridiculous outfit he gave me…_

Jin blushed slightly and shook his head nervously. "Oh…nothing."

Hwoarang stared at the Japanese boy in amusement. _He looks cute all nervous like that… Fuck!_

Jin noticed Hwoarang's gaze and became even more nervous. "Umm…plate?" he asked quickly, holding up a glass plate.

Hwoarang nodded. "Yeah, sure," he replied, taking the plate from Jin's hands before dumping piles of food on it. He sat down across from Jin and began eating. "Not bad Jin…not bad at all," complimented Hwoarang while chewing the food approvingly.

Jin smiled at the compliment. "Thanks."

"Where'd you learn to cook?"

Jin looked at his food. "My…mother…" he murmured, trying in vain to cover up his pain in mentioning her.

Hwoarang looked at him sadly. "Oh…sorry," he offered. _Hmm…at least you got to know your mother, Kazama._

Jin closed his eyes and smiled slightly at the redhead. "Nah, it's okay. So…how's your head?" he inquired politely.

Hwoarang stared at him for a moment before tilting his head side to side. "Well, I still have this killer headache and I keep walking to the right for some bizarre reason but otherwise I'm fine," he replied with a grin.

"How many fingers."

"Uhh…well…why do I have to do this anyway?" stammered Hwoarang nervously as he quickly stuffed more food into his mouth. He saw Jin's hand blurrily and the amount of fingers kept jumping from two to four then back to two and then to six. If he focused harder, it just made everything worse.

Jin stared at him intently. "Answer. Now. How. Many. Fingers?" he repeated sternly. He held four fingers and threw Hwoarang a firm look. The latter looked frustrated.

"Uhh…" he squinted a bit, "…eight?" _Now how in the world would he manage to do that when in one hand you only have five fingers? Think before you talk. Hwoarang, you dolt!_

Jin lowered his hand. "No, four," he answered calmly before resuming in his eating quietly. Hwoarang frowned deeply before chuckling amusedly.

"Oh. Do you have any aspirin?"

"I ran out months ago."

Hwoarang sighed. "Oh," he said again. _Aghh…now how am I going to get home? I'll probably be seeing double of everything! Heck I see two Jin's right now! …Oh…scary thought…_ "Ah well, I guess going home will be a harder task than I thought…" he murmured to himself.

Jin raised an eyebrow. "Eh? You think you're going home? I don't think so," he commanded.

Hwoarang looked flabbergasted before turning to glare at the Japanese boy. "What are you my mother?" he asked scornfully.

Jin remained unperturbed. "Who knows what might happen when you get home? You're still dizzy and seeing double of everything. It's a real risk you know," he replied slowly and patiently as if speaking to a child.

Hwoarang glared at him and flicked his hand at him. "Hey, I might be seeing double of everything but I still know what and where everything is!" he retorted indignantly.

Jin raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" he asked challengingly. _We'll see soon enough._

"Yeah!" _Somehow I think this is a bad idea._

The Japanese youth stood up and walked over to the counter and took out a knife from a drawer and held it up a few feet away from Hwoarang. "Fine, what's this?" he inquired with a slight smile at the Korean's obvious stress.

_Not this again…great what the hell is that! Oh God…I don't know! It looks like a stick…wait no! It's a fork!_ "A fork."

"No, it's a knife," Jin replied triumphantly. He lowered the knife and placed it back safely in the drawer before turning to face Hwoarang, who looked exasperated.

_Hn, yeah, of course…why didn't I think of that?_ Hwoarang pouted slightly.

"And you think I'm going to let you go home! Even if I walked you home, when you're by yourself, who's going to be there when you faint or something?" laughed Jin, though there was an evident amount of sincerity in his tone.

Hwoarang looked disappointedly at his now empty plate. _He's right. I don't exactly feel all that peachy to go home let alone try to take care of myself… _"Then where will I go?" he asked aloud. Jin stood up and gathered up his and Hwoarang's plates before placing them into the sink.

"You'll stay here, with me."

Hwoarang stared at Jin dumbly. The fact that he had said it so simply, without care, completely baffled him. Not to mention the idea caused an unpleasant shudder up his spine. "You're kidding, right?" he asked softly.

Jin eyed Hwoarang. "No, I'm not," he replied flatly.

"I…"

The Japanese fighter laughed at him. "C'mon Hwoarang! Don't act like it's the worst thing in the world that could happen to you!" he exclaimed cheerfully while staring at the fuming redhead, who was glaring at him. He then laughed even harder when he realized Hwoarang was glaring at the refrigerator instead of him. _He's just too cute when he's mad like that…_ "Try to think logically, Hwoarang. I have an extra room where you can stay and you don't have to worry about people staring at you strangely if you went out by yourself," he persuaded.

A look of disdain was sprawled on Hwoarang's face as he stared at the floor thoughtfully. _Damn, I know he's right…but how can I sleep over at my rival's house! It's just…but then again…I really want to! Ahh! What am I going to do!_ The redhead clicked his tongue in disgust at the fickleness of his mind.

Jin watched him for a moment before smiling. "All right, you're staying. And that's that," he announced loudly, startling Hwoarang out of his reverie.

"You're ordering me around…?"

Jin smirked. "Well you can't do anything about it and it's for your best," he chided playfully. Hwoarang watched Jin's eyes for a moment before turning to silence again.

_Why does he care so much about my safety? Could he…?_

At the sudden silence from the redhead, Jin began to panic slightly. _Damn…why'd I say that! I just hope he doesn't figure out that I like him…_ A small frown appeared on his face at the thought of Hwoarang running away from him in utter disgust and terror. _I don't think I could deal with that._

Hwoarang gazed at Jin's form again and laughed mentally. _Ha! Kazama Jin like me! That's just totally unbelievable! He's probably just really nice._ Sighing, he finally looked at Jin straight in the eye—or at least as straight as he could with his vision still on the fritz. "Fine Jin…I'll stay here…for the time being," he gave in with a look of fear at his own words.

Jin grinned slightly and clapped his hands. "Okay then!" he exclaimed.

_Lord…don't make me regret this…_ Hwoarang smiled back hopelessly.

* * *

TBC


	4. Sleeping Arrangements

**Chapter Four: Sleeping Arrangements**

Two hours had passed in the Kazama household. In those two hours Jin had managed to swear more than he ever had in all his previous years and all of them were directly resulted from Hwoarang's antics. Jin had never thought it would be so difficult to watch over one, _full-grown_ man. Yet the Korean youth had managed to stifle his reasoning once again.

The two were currently sitting on the couch—as far apart from each other as possible—with eyes fixated on the television screen. A scream was issued from the set and Hwoarang snickered loudly.

"Is it really that funny?" inquired Jin, arching an eyebrow. _Why am I watching a movie he chose when this is my own house?_

The redhead glanced at him momentarily. "What, can't handle a little blood?" he challenged back. _How the fuck does he manage to be a fighter?_

"Not like this, no," came the calm reply. _I'm really not liking this._ "Let's try another movie."

"NO!"

At once, Jin jumped in surprise before looking at Hwoarang. _What the…?_ "What is it?" he asked in concern.

Hwoarang threw him a dirty look. "You are not changing movies," he stated firmly. _This is "28 Days Later", dammit. There's no way I'm letting Jinny change it to some cheap movie like "Titanic"…_ "You'll get used to it. It's not all blood and gore."

Jin narrowed his eyes. "Can you even _watch_ the movie? I mean, you were having difficulty telling apart a knife from a fork before," he pointed out curiously.

There was silence for a while. And during that brief pause, Hwoarang wracked his brain for something to say.

"I can still hear it," he finally replied.

_That was utterly brilliant, Blood Talon._

"Okay." _He really is a stubborn bastard… _"I could go to the store and get some aspirin you know…"

Hwoarang glared hard at the Japanese man. "I can sleep it off," he all but growled.

Jin hid a smile as he shrugged. "All right, fine," he said before turning his attention back to the movie.

For a few minutes there were no more words exchanged between the fighters. The focus was now back on the movie. Jin wondered curiously to himself as he watched the scene before him. _I wonder how it would be like if I woke up all alone in a hospital…naked…with Hwoarang watching me…_ At once, the man bit his lip and tried desperately to get the image out of his mind. _No, no…absolutely NO!_ A brief shiver ran up his spine as he stared at the screen weakly.

Meanwhile, Hwoarang was having some of the same thoughts as well. _Being alone in an entirely empty Tokyo…that would be freaky. And then Jin would find me…fuck. _The redhead narrowed his eyes and tightened his fist, nearly breaking the cup in his grasp. _No more thoughts like that! Let's make Jin one of the affected victims… He's a mindless, bloodthirsty man… I have to kill him… Slice and dice… Yeah._ Satisfied with his train of thoughts, Hwoarang smiled and leaned back more comfortably. It was a good thing he had watched the movie before when his vision was still steady otherwise he would never have been able to imagine such a scene.

"What would you do?"

Blinking, Hwoarang looked at Jin confusedly. "What?" he asked dumbly. _Is he going psycho on me now?_

"What would you do if you were in that guy's situation?" repeated Jin, staring at him seriously.

"I would probably do the same thing he did. Walk around wondering what happened to everyone. But I would steal more food and money than him. And _not_ go into a church," replied Hwoarang wickedly. _Despite having bloodthirsty cannibals after you, the situation wouldn't be too bad. Of course, it would be kind of lonely…_

Jin chuckled lightly. "You are very bad, Hwoarang," he commented. _What else was to be expected?_

"How about you?"

The Japanese youth froze in surprise. Hwoarang stared back at him seriously and without any waver in his gaze. Jin tilted his head to the side wonderingly. "Probably wait around a day trying to find other people. If I didn't, though, I'd probably just kill myself," he answered truthfully.

"Really? But you could wipe the floor clean with those cannibals."

Jin smiled a bit ruefully. "True, but if there's no one else around, I wouldn't want to stick to living for too long," he said.

Hwoarang looked at him curiously before smirking. "Coward," he insulted. _Kill himself…just because there was no one else around? I would never do that. I would travel and continue searching for other people._

"Hey, it's just a movie. I don't think anything like that will happen any time soon."

An eyebrow rose slowly. "Oh? Can you be so sure of that? Look at you. You're half demon. You wouldn't think that could happen now would you?" he retorted.

"Guess so," replied Jin tightly. _Sometimes I forget he knows what I am…_

"And you don't see me running around like a maniac," continued Hwoarang.

Jin threw a teasing look at him. "Well, I predict if you did try running, you would _look_ like a maniac because you'll probably end up crashing into a million things," he shot back.

"Fuck you!" replied Hwoarang. _Is he taunting me? Me? The Blood Talon? The one who will kick his ass all the way down to hell when I recover? Oh, he's definitely getting it now…_

And before he could even make his move, Jin suddenly spoke up.

"How about we go to sleep?"

"What?"

Hwoarang stared at him incredulously. _Dammit, I was going to make my move!_ He gestured to the movie. "It's not done yet!" he complained loudly.

"We can finish it tomorrow. Besides, it's getting late," replied Jin charmingly as he turned off the set.

The Korean man looked at the blank TV set and then at the clock. He squinted several times before giving up. Not only was it dim in the living room, but there was no way he would have been able to read those tiny hands. He scowled deeply. _When the fuck will this headache leave me alone!_

"It's close to one in the morning if you were curious. So I think it's safe to say we should get some sleep. You can take my bed," quipped Jin as he stood up, stretching. _What kind of host would I be if I didn't offer him my room? _And he couldn't help but feel slightly tingly at the thought of Hwoarang sleeping in his bed.

"No, I can take the couch," replied Hwoarang obstinately.

Jin crossed his arms and sighed at him. _Why is he so difficult?_ "I insist, Hwoarang. I don't want to wake up tomorrow morning with you on the floor half-conscious," he said calmly.

A vein appeared by Hwoarang's temple. "I won't fall down again," he gritted between his teeth as he recalled the first time he woke up and saw Jin sleeping in front of him. Needless to say, he would never try sneaking away with a concussion. The results were far too torturous.

"Just sleep in my bed."

"No." _Damn prick._

"Yes." _Stubborn brat._

"No!" _Give up, dammit!_

"Yes!" _I am not giving up._

"NO!" _Okay, I am reaching my limit now, Kazama… Say "yes" one more time and I swear I will—_

"Then we'll both sleep on it." _Holy shit. Did I just say that?_

"Eh?" _Holy shit, did he just say that?_

Jin looked at Hwoarang as calmly as he could. "Any objections?" he asked.

The redhead was too surprised to say anything. "Okay…" he murmured unsurely. _How big is this guy's bed?_ All of the sudden, an idea swept into mind. _So he wants to sleep together, eh? Let's see if he can face the consequence to that…_ "Come on. I'm tired."

With an almost happy bounce, he stood up from the couch and began walking away into the hallway where he stopped by Jin's door. The latter watched him uncertainly before following slowly. _Why does that look scare me?_ Hwoarang was all but beaming at the dark-haired man as he stepped into the room.

When Jin turned on the lights, Hwoarang finally caught glimpse of the room. It was relatively large with simple furniture and a queen-sized bed. The redhead grinned mischievously at this as he walked over to the edge, sitting on it. The bed dipped slightly as Hwoarang lied down on it fully. _Oh, Jin is so going to regret his decision in sleeping with me…_ He turned to face Jin, who was staring at him quizzically.

"Are you going to come in or what?" he snapped.

The Japanese man jumped slightly before walking over to the other side of the bed. He lied down slowly while staring at Hwoarang warily. _He's planning something…I know he is. I'm starting to regret this now…_ Once he was fully under the blanket, he turned off the light with painstaking slowness. The room was quickly swept into darkness and the two lied together in silence. After several minutes of tension, Jin finally relaxed. _Maybe I was wrong…_

"'Night, Hwoarang," he called out quietly.

There was nothing but quiet breathing. Jin blinked in surprise. _He fell asleep quick…_ With a small smile, he turned over to his side to face the redhead. All he could see was the man's profile before he closed his eyes. _This isn't so bad after all—_

_Smack._

Brief pain stung Jin's nose as he opened his eyes in alarm. He saw Hwoarang's arm lying in between him and the other man. _Rowdy sleeper…_ Jin cursed to himself as he massaged his nose. Then another whack landed squarely on his chest that made him swear aloud. _What the hell?_ He looked at Hwoarang in amazement as the man rolled over to face him slowly, his arms and legs kicking out full force at him. He barely avoided the redhead's arms before being kicked roughly in the shin by his leg.

"Goddamn it," he muttered painfully as he rubbed his leg. _He wasn't this violent before!_

Hwoarang was inwardly cheering. _Yeah, this'll teach Kazama to not mess with the Blood Talon!_ He moved once again before he felt an arm clamp his down. He froze. And then he tried to move his other arm when another weight was added to keep it from moving. _What the fuck?_ Tempted to open his eyes, Hwoarang tried wriggling around some bit before he felt another heavy weight turn him around completely to face the wall. His arms were brought before him and he felt a heart beating closely behind him. _Is he actually trying to hold me down?_ The thought of Jin holding him while he slept caused a great uneasiness in him as he attempted to swerve around once again.

The grip on his arms tightened and Hwoarang found himself completely immobile. _Dammit…_ He groaned inwardly but knew it was all over for him. His revenge had been foiled. And when he began cursing uncontrollably in his mind, he suddenly felt a soft breathing on the nape of his neck. The grip on his wrists remained locked but even they relaxed slightly as Jin slipped into slumber. Hwoarang frowned to himself. _Why is this guy so persistent?_ But inside, he felt strange. No matter how hard he tried to ignore it, the feeling of safeness and comfort that radiated from Jin's body kept distracting him._ What is this feeling?_

"You win this time, Jin," he murmured resignedly as he relaxed into his captor's hold.

* * *

TBC

Yeah, so it's been a while since I updated. No amount of apologizing will excuse this break. I lost interest in this story and just didn't feel the urge to continue writing. But then I read some of the reviews you guys left and started feeling a bit guilty. So I decided to chance it once again. I kind of forgot how much fun it was to write this. The characters are so obviously OOC but you know, it's comedy so you can excuse that. :D Also, I've done some revising of the old chapters. I'll probably have to go through them again but for now, I'm satisfied. So yeah, I'm back and hopefully I won't be disappearing again. To anyone who is still reading, thanks. It's you guys who make this story what it is.

And did any of you watch _28 Days Later_? Damn good movie. I just had to use it. :P Oh, and I had to up the rating to this story. Hwoarang's potty mouth decided it. And who knows, if I get really inspired I might write up some racy scenes. XD


	5. Morning Mayhem

**Chapter Five: Morning Mayhem**

The next day was slightly better than the rest of the days. Slightly. After initially waking up to find himself in the arms of his foremost rival, Hwoarang promptly leapt out of bed with the agility of a cat before raising an accusing finger at Jin. The latter mumbled incoherently in his sleep and raised one sleepy eye to look at him.

"What is it now?" he groaned. _It's too early for this._

Hwoarang glared darkly at him—his vision now focused entirely on the dark-haired fighter before him. "I'm leaving," he announced after a dramatic pause. He then turned abruptly and stalked out of the room.

It took several moments for Jin to fully comprehend what the Korean man said before he buried his head deeper into his pillow. _It seems like someone up there likes me._ Within seconds he had fallen asleep, giving no heed to what Hwoarang was doing.

The redhead had ventured into Jin's living room and immediately went to the bathroom to fetch his old clothes. Noticing they were still dirty, Hwoarang shrugged and packed them into a bag before taking some of Jin's money and heading out the door. He was feeling much better this morning. His head was clear and he was pleased to note that there were no fuzzy images blurring his vision.

As he continued walking, he felt a slight pang for taking Jin's money and clothes. _Why am I feeling guilty for this? Haven't I done worse? _Hwoarang pursed his lips and quickened his pace. There was no way he was going to let his mind linger too long on Jin. _He just let me stay for the night. That's it. I owe him nothing. After all, if it weren't for him, I wouldn't have even needed to stay with him! _Having made this excuse, Hwoarang smiled satisfactorily.

When he reached his apartment, the Korean youth plopped down on his couch for a few seconds, wondering curiously what he should do. Then suddenly, he jumped up and tore off his clothes and dumped them on the floor. Hwoarang sneered at the clothes derisively before changing into his own. He did not want to be reminded of his rival this early in the morning. Waking up to see him right _there_ beside him was traumatizing enough.

It only took him a little while to realize how much of a child he was acting. Hwoarang crossed his arms irritably before grabbing a smoke from his pack and lighting it up. Inhaling the nicotine did relieve his tensions somewhat and he walked over to his window, staring down at the world below him. In general he tried not to smoke—since it was bad for fighting—but every once in a blue moon he kept them for stressful situations. This was one of those occasions.

"Was he just mocking me?" muttered Hwoarang bitterly as he blew out.

He held the cigarette in his left hand as he ran a hand through his hair. Needless to say it had been the strangest night of his life. Jin was actually nice to him—and he, the infamous Blood Talon, actually enjoyed his company. He could have blamed it on the concussion, but that would have been a cowardly way out. And Hwoarang was no coward.

Flicking a piece of ash off his shirt, Hwoarang threw the cigarette out the window and watched it land on the concrete sidewalk. So much for a relaxing morning. Try as he might he still couldn't get Jin out of his mind. _Fucking bastard just won't leave me alone,_ cursed Hwoarang mentally as he put on a jacket and walked out of his apartment.

For the second time that day he was greeted by the crisp morning breeze. Glancing at his watch, Hwoarang clicked his tongue in dismay. _I must be insane—waking up this early._ He had wondered why there was barely anyone on the streets. It was only six a.m. Hwoarang was in general never an early bird, but for some inexplicable reason this morning had been an exception. Most likely it was Jin—Hwoarang wasn't accustomed to having someone fall asleep that closely beside him, much less a full-grown man. The redhead narrowed his eyes as he headed towards the café. And no matter what his rational side tried to say, he could deny the fact that it hadn't been as unpleasant as he expected.

_I should really go and check if this concussion doesn't have me thinking up crazy thoughts._ Hwoarang sat down in his normal place and ordered black coffee and two bagels. His order came swiftly since he was the only patron visiting at this ungodly hour. Hwoarang sipped his coffee and relished the taste. Most would have called him insane—for actually _liking_ black coffee—but to Hwoarang it was the best thing that ever came to this world besides Tae Kwon Do. He then began to cream up his bagels before biting into them slowly.

"Shocks of all shocks! Is that the _Blood Talon_ I see sitting by himself?"

Glancing up, Hwoarang spotted an old friend—and fellow competitor from the Iron Fist Tournament. "Oh, it's you, Fox," he greeted dully.

The blond fighter gave a disgruntled look as he sat down across Hwoarang. "What a way to make a bloke feel all warm inside, Hwoarang," he replied sarcastically as he fingered his earphones. "And what are you doing here so early? I thought you were more the afternoon person—not the crazy-at-the-crack-of-dawn person."

"Well, _what_ are you doing here then?" retorted Hwoarang. _How the hell does this Brit always appear out of nowhere?_

Steve smiled indulgently. "Because I sensed my little Hwoarang was in need of help," he said mysteriously.

"What do you know?" _This is bad…_

"Your whereabouts last night were most peculiar, no?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." _This is really bad…_

Hwoarang was staring so deeply into Steve's face that one could have imagined that he was about to kiss him. But the redhead's mind wasn't even thinking of such an act. No, his attention was entirely captured by that teasing, knowing look Steve possessed in his eye. The blond didn't even need to answer Hwoarang's question in order for him to know what he meant. The Blood Talon was promptly reduced to a crumpled state as he slumped in his seat, taking a weary bite from his bagel.

"Do you spy on me or something?"

Steve grinned brightly. "What an assumption you make, Hwoarang! I just happened to catch you and Jin crash so elegantly into each other yesterday. And out of concern for _you_, I decided to follow. I don't know what exactly happened inside Jin's apartment, but I know for a fact that you didn't get out until this morning," he explained cheerfully.

Hwoarang shook his head and swallowed the last of his bagels. "You're incorrigible, Steve. You know that, right?" he remarked, stirring his coffee absentmindedly.

"But that's not the point is it? What _happened_?"

"You think I would tell you?" _You damn gossip freak._

A whimper. "But I'm your best friend!"

"Wrong. Best friend from the tournament, yes, but not my _actual _best friend."

"How cruel."

"I know." _At least I know how to deal with this guy. Fucking Kazama is an entirely different story._

Steve sighed and leaned back in his seat. "You don't…have feelings for him do you?" he questioned slowly.

Hwoarang almost spit out the rest of his remaining coffee and looked at Steve wide-eyed. "Are you fucking slow or something? Me—like that stinking, no good, absolutely _shitty_ fucking excuse of a fighter?" he demanded.

The blond regarded him calmly. "Well, that was an explosive response. I guess you do then," he deduced.

_I am stuck in a very twisted version of the Twilight Zone where everyone thinks I have a thing for Kazama. _Hwoarang could only sit still in his shock. Steve waved a finger in front of his nose.

"Shame, shame, Hwoarang. Falling for the enemy. What did you always tell me?"

"Shut the fuck up," came the automatic response.

Steve placed a comforting arm around Hwoarang's shoulders. "There's no need to be so down, mate. It's not all lost," he said bracingly.

Hwoarang glared at Steve. "I feel nothing for Kazama," he said tonelessly.

"Of course not. But that's besides the point."

"_Fuck_ you!"

"Sticks and stones, Hwoarang."

_I'll sticks and stones your goddamn ass, you annoying Brit, if you don't shut the hell up!_ Hwoarang breathed in deeply and closed his eyes. _Okay, murdering my friend wasn't exactly on my to-do list today—and I don't think that will go well with my public reputation. The Blood Talon is not a murdering fiend, no matter how…FUCKING annoying the person is._ After several seconds of small meditation, Hwoarang looked at Steve.

"I really don't feel anything for him," he repeated steadily.

Steve threw him a calculating look. "Hwoarang, in all honesty, do you really think I believe you?" he inquired seriously.

"No." _Fucking hell._

"Good, because I don't believe a goddamn word you just said," continued Steve brightly. "I knew one day this would happen. I just knew it!"

Hwoarang looked at Steve. "What are you going on about now?" he asked wearily. _Why do I even bother trying to comprehend this blond's head?_

"It was obvious from the beginning. You and Jin. Your rivalry was just a wall—a sort of shell—that needed to be broken down to reveal what was really lying underneath."

For a second Hwoarang imagined the entire café growing silent and an eerie wind blowing through the small room. Steve continued staring at him and all the redhead could do was stare back. His mind was reeling. _Rivalry—a wall—lying underneath? _And suddenly, Hwoarang burst.

"ARE YOU UTTERLY MAD!"

Steve placed a finger in his ear and winced painfully at the fuming Korean youth standing before him, palms flat on the table and a murderous glint in his eyes. "Hey, it's just my interpretation of this 'rivalry' of yours. You can't kill me for that," he pointed out.

"Did I really label you as my best friend? I must have been fucking _high_ when I said that!"

"Hwoarang, you're scaring the workers."

"Fuck them!"

"_Hwoarang._"

The redhead sat back down in his seat, arms crossed over his chest obstinately. Steve shook his head exasperatedly.

"Jesus, you didn't use to curse _this_ much," he commented.

Hwoarang remained glowering at the blond fighter. "You try remaining calm when your supposedly best friend is making crazy accusations about you and his _most hated_ rival," he said coldly. _This Twilight Zone stinks like hell._

A ghost of a smile flitted across Steve's face. "Do you _really_ hate him, Hwoarang? I can't imagine you doing something like that—and all because of a draw?" he asked curiously.

Hwoarang sighed and slapped his knee. "It's not just the draw, Steve. It's everything else. His entire attitude, his entire lifestyle, just sickens me," he explained annoyingly. _Perfect Kazama—the orphaned child whom everyone is after—Saint Kazama! Someone just fucking kill me already._

"How do you know he doesn't have it just as hard as you?"

Dark eyes cast Steve a critical look. "What do you know and how did you find out?" he inquired sharply.

Steve shrugged. "Just rumors really. But it seems like little ol' Jin has his own share of difficulties—like the rest of us," he answered offhandedly.

"Who _bloody_ gives a damn?" _God, I've been hanging out with Steve for too long. _"It's his attitude that kills. He's so fucking weak-spirited—did you know that? I would've been fine with a draw—if it weren't for the fact that _he_ was so utterly _calm_ about it. It was like he didn't even give a flying fuck about the fight—and that just _bothers_ me like a fucking knife in my hand."

"Because you take every fight seriously."

"Precisely."

"You know… I've never met anyone as committed to the fighting spirit as you, Hwoarang," complimented Steve with a smile.

Hwoarang looked darkly at him. "Too late for sucking up now, Fox," he stated firmly.

Steve chuckled. "Well, to be quite frank, you can't blame him, Hwoarang. He probably thought it was just a regular street fight—not really worth his time and effort—so obviously he wouldn't care much about it ending in a draw. Not everyone is like you," he said slowly.

"You think I don't know that? But it still fucking _irks_ me! He's the only one I've never defeated flat out." _Ah, how I hate you for that, Kazama._

"Then doesn't that deserve some special treatment?"

"That deserves _no_ special treatment, Fox."

Steve gave a whimsical grin. "I still think you'd make a great pair," he commented.

With a speed like none other, Hwoarang reached out and bopped Steve hard on the head with his fist. The latter stumbled in his seat and rubbed his sore head with a half pained, half amused expression.

"Temper, temper."

"Go away, Steve. You're bugging me."

"That's what I'm here for, right?"

Hwoarang glared hard at him. He seemed to be doing that a lot this morning. "Don't you have some…training to do?" he queried.

Steve gave him a toothy grin. "But this is so much more entertaining," he pointed out smartly.

_Why do I always end up hanging around sadistic people?_ Hwoarang stood up and paid for his meal before heading outside. Steve followed along doggedly. The streets were just as empty as before, but there were now more people coming out to open their shops. Hwoarang passed them by, giving a slight nod to some of the owners he knew. He knew Steve wanted to talk about the subject more, but he was determined to stay silent and go along his way.

The problem was, Steve stuck to his side like glue.

Hwoarang eventually headed back to his apartment and stopped right before his door, not looking at Steve, who still lingered right behind him.

"I'm going in," he announced.

Steve nodded. "Right," he agreed.

"_You're_ not," clarified Hwoarang.

Another pout. "Why are you so mean to your best friend?" he whined.

Hwoarang whipped around to face Steve. "You are so—"

But whatever he was going to say died on his lips when he spotted a figure entering the hallway—a certain hooded, dark-featured person he knew all too well and didn't wish to see again for a long, long time. Hwoarang stared at Jin as he approached them slowly.

Steve smiled and patted Jin on the shoulder. "Ah, so you made it!" he quipped happily.

Both Hwoarang and Jin continued staring at each other in bewilderment. Finally Hwoarang looked at Steve and pointed at Jin numbly. "What is _he_ doing here?" he asked in a mild tone.

"I invited him. We sometimes train together and so I asked him to meet up here."

"At _my_ fucking apartment?"

"Well, what's wrong with that?"

Hwoarang's attention was once again focused solely on Steve as all he saw was red. "Are you psycho or something?" he demanded hoarsely.

Steve shrugged dismissively. "Well, I still haven't had a bite to eat and we all know how bad it is to work out on an empty stomach—so Hwoarang, how about you invite us in and let us have something before we go? And hey, you can even join us!" he suggested.

"Go to the fucking café if you're so hungry!" _This is not happening._

"I have no money."

Hwoarang jerked a hand in Jin's direction. "Get _him_ to pay then!" he ordered fiercely. He would have even offered to pay for their breakfasts—had it not been for the fact that it would make him appear weak. _Damn all the forces of the universe…_

"I told him not to bring any because we wouldn't need it."

"You _fucking bastard_!" _This is happening. Fuck it all._

Steve continued with his happy expression. "So Hwoarang? I know you're not that mean to leave the two of us hanging out here," he said.

Hwoarang stared at him dumbfoundedly. Inside, he was torn. There was Jin, the person he was most desperate to get away with after having spent an entire night with. And then there was Steve, whom Hwoarang had to applaud for his cleverness in getting them together, despite it causing him a lot of trauma. Hwoarang sighed resignedly and unlocked his door, gesturing for the two to follow.

_Life just enjoys knocking me around. And there couldn't be any truer statement than that._

"Hmm…so have you restocked your frig yet, mate? I'm starved! Aren't you also, Jin?"

"Uh…I suppose…"

"There's no need to be shy! Hwoarang's our host now!"

The Korean fighter sat down on his couch and surveyed the scene before him. Steve rummaged through his refrigerator like a maniac and Jin could only stand by, watching him with something akin to amazement and confusion. Hwoarang lit up another match and breathed out deeply, hiding his face in the palm of his hand. Oh yes, when everything was said and done, Steve would suffer. A morbid smile slowly made its way onto his face.

"Oi, Hwoarang! You know smoking is bad for you!"

Steve then promptly dodged a well-aimed pillow thrown in his direction.

"Shut the fuck up, asshole, and get your damn food!" snapped Hwoarang, staring hard enough at Steve to make a hole in his head had this been a science fiction movie.

"Well, I protest to being an asshole, but I certainly can't say no to food!" chirped Steve.

Then for a brief instant, Hwoarang shared a glance with Jin. The two stared at each other for a split second before each party looked away quickly. Hwoarang inhaled deeply and gritted his teeth. _I'm really fucked this time—no doubt about that. _He watched as Steve finally settled on making tuna sandwiches for both himself and Jin.

"Hmm…do you have celery, Hwoarang?"

"Just stick to the goddamn tuna!"

This time Hwoarang could feel Jin's gaze on him and he readily ignored it, staring at the wall blankly.

"Hey Jin, stop staring at grumpy over there and help me out!"

Hwoarang's cigarette hand twitched.

* * *

TBC

Ah, this chapter was most delayed. Pardon the lateness! I hope you at least enjoyed it. XD


End file.
